Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hears nominees for deputy secretaries as members press on DOE funding, national labs and public‑lands management

Catherine McGregor and James Danley, President Trump's nominees to serve as deputy secretaries of the Department of the Interior and the Department of Energy, respectively, appeared before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for a confirmation hearing that focused on agency management, contract rescissions, national‑lab security and public‑lands and wildfire priorities.

The committee's ranking member, Senator Martin Heinrich, said he would press the nominees on reports that the Department of Energy was “considering canceling or renegotiating existing funding contracts” and reminded the panel that “the decision to rescind these awards rests with Congress, not with the president, and certainly not with Elon Musk.” The session included sustained exchanges about staffing and program continuity at Interior, research security at the national laboratories, and permitting and grid reliability at Energy.

McGregor, who previously served as Interior deputy secretary, described returning to the agency as a chance to reduce delays in permitting and improve frontline service. She said, “I fully intend if confirmed to obey the law,” and repeatedly committed to work with senators on implementing statutes the committee highlighted, including the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the Great American Outdoors Act. McGregor emphasized several operational priorities she cited from her prior tenure: reducing permitting timeframes, addressing appraisal and backlog delays, and improving access to public lands and parks.

Danley, who served as general counsel and later chairman and commissioner at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, told the committee the Department of Energy must address infrastructure and permitting hurdles to meet rising electricity demand. He emphasized the department's role overseeing 17 national laboratories and national security missions managed by the National Nuclear Security Administration. On national‑lab access, Danley agreed to work with senators on tightening research‑security practices, saying, “If I should be lucky enough to be confirmed, I'll work with you to deal with this problem.”

Members probed both nominees on a range of specific concerns raised during question periods: whether Interior would follow federal court orders requiring the distribution of previously appropriated grant funds; whether the department would implement the Great American Outdoors Act and related Land and Water Conservation Fund disbursements; commitments to sustain staffing levels at national parks and wildland firefighting units; questions about the Recreation and Public Purposes Act and whether public land could be used to expand housing; and whether the nominees would defend statutory processes for offshore leasing and revenue sharing under Gulf of Mexico statutes.

Senators also asked Danley a series of energy‑system questions: restoring “base‑load” resources and market signals that preserve existing generators, speeding permitting for transmission and generation, supporting advanced reactors and small modular reactors, and protecting the nuclear fuel supply chain. On the National Nuclear Security Administration's plutonium “pit” production targets, Danley said he would “do everything I can to ensure, shall I be confirmed, that NNSA's mission is discharged fully.” He further signaled support for the national laboratories' basic research mission and pledged to advocate for their scientific work.

Both nominees were asked about recent press reports of proposed personnel reductions at Interior and DOE. Each said they would follow federal law governing reorganizations and notify Congress as required. On transparency and committee oversight, Danley pointed to his record at FERC of extensive written responses to congressional inquiries and promised similar cooperation; McGregor likewise agreed that “sunshine is always important” and committed to working with the committee.

The hearing did not include any committee votes. Senators indicated they will submit additional written questions and expect responses by the committee's deadlines.

The committee's scrutiny highlighted several recurring themes that could shape follow‑up oversight: how the departments will handle previously appropriated funding and contracts, the balance between expediting permitting and complying with environmental and statutory requirements, workforce levels for park operations and wildfire response, steps the Energy Department will take to secure national‑lab research and foreign access, and coordination with states and tribes on water and public‑lands issues. The nominees repeatedly pledged to consult with the committee and to adhere to existing law if confirmed.